Best drinks for runners

There is a lot of debate on which is the best drink for runners. Pre workout, post workout, during your work out, and so on and so on. I've tried a lot of them, and here is my review on which ones I like the best.

Pre workout -
DO:  Personally, I like water, but it all depends on what time your workout is. Ultimately you just need to be hydrated before you go out, because the major source of your energy is going to come from the food you eat that day. So as long as you drink enough water, and drink it far enough in advanced to where you dont have to pee a mile into your run, then your fine.

DONT: Drink more then a glass of alcohol before your run, or even the night before. This will severely dehydrate you. Even if you don't feel it, it can compromise your performance a lot. Save your beer for afterwards, or the night before a rest day.

DONT: Drink coffee or tea or soda without drinking an adequate amount of water to follow, because while these are liquids, they dehydrate you. There have been a number of times where I drink coffee before my morning run, but since I'm not thirsty that early, I dont even think about the water and when I get on the road I then notice how thirsty I am, and Im out of luck.

DONT: Drink milk or juice before a run. For some reason it produces a lot of saliva, and then your spittin' like a baseball player the entire time.

During your run-
DO: Keep it simple. I only drink water on my runs. I used to drink sports drinks if they were provided during a race, but I don't like the way they taste, and I feel like they dehydrate me. You have to learn your body. If you don't feel that you NEED to replenish yourself with extra electrolytes, then don't bother.

DONT: Drink anything else. The simpler your keep it during your run, the better. Unless your doing a race that involves beer. :)

Post workout-
DO: This is where a lot of the debate comes in. Sports drinks? Milk? Protein shake? Beer? Or even Pickle Juice!? I have been known to drink a protein shake after a work out, its good fuel for recovery, but honestly, I would prefer to eat a meal instead. I like to run before lunch, so I will eat a good breakfast, then I will have a piece of fruit about 30 min before my run so that I am not hungry during the run, then I will time it right so that I can get home and eat lunch within the 30 min mark. That way I can get my protein in without adding the extra calories. (exceptions made on longer runs)

And the winner is? Plain old chocolate milk. According to fitnessmagazine.com "For a high-endurance athlete, Stager's team sees it as a catch-all workout recovery drink. Compared to plain milk, water, or most sports drinks, it has double the carbohydrate and protein content, perfect for replenishing tired muscles. Its high water content replaces fluids lost as sweat, preventing dehydration. Plus it packs a nutritional bonus of calcium, and includes just a little sodium and sugar -- additives that help recovering athletes retain water and regain energy." 


So feel free to ditch the fancy expensive drinks on your daily run, and save those for a really hard core work out. 


DONT: There isnt a lot that I would say to NOT  do after a run. I mean, it's over. That's the fun of working out, once it's over you can feel free to do whatever you want. There are many a time I have drove to my favorite watering hole, logged my miles in a loop that ended right back at the front door and have gone in to get a beer. I do advise though to learn your body. Your stomach does a lot of bouncing while running, and you may be over sensitive for a little while. After a really long run you don't ever want to chug anything. Even if your dying of thirst, keep it nice and slow, so you absorb the fluids and avoid throwing it all back up.